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Foreign Film Review:

BY DAVID MACDONALD

Belle De Jour,made in 1967, is one Luis Bunuel’s films, a director who specialized in surrealism. The plot is supposed to be about a woman, who is unaffectionate toward her husband, and who decides to work at a brothel during the day.

We get a glimpse of some rather bizarre dreams of the main character, Severine (played by Catherine Deneuve, who was also in last week’s film, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg). At the beginning, she dreams that she is in a carriage with her husband, and after having rejected his passionate plea, the husband orders the carriage to be stopped, and for the riders to tie her up and whip her ina sort of spontaneous S&M act. It is a rather unsettling moment to witness for the first time, because of the casual attitude of the director. For one thing, it’s a lengthy scene, two or three minutes of it being taken up with quiet shots of the carriage moving through the French countrysideas the credits silently flash on the screen. And there is nothing in the scene to suggest that this is even a dream until the next shot when she talks to her husband in bed that she just happened to have had a dream in which the carriage was involved.

The fact that she is willing to deal with such unpredict- able characters from her dreams in her real life later on in the brothel is a sign that Severine can only enjoy sex if there is some threat of danger involved. But then we get some other strange moments, dreams and otherwise, that seem to exist only so the director can exercise his talent of blasphemy toward all aspects of society, from the church and state to the upper-class, which is of course what he is famous for, the most amusing one in this film being the moment where one of the customers gets off on pretending to be an inept servant to the queen and who needs to be punished. And the final portion of the film certainly will not make things any easier for a person who demands a somewhat sane and easily explain- able ending. :

I actually read in the notice board for Showcase Television that Luis Bunuel’s films are like Monty Python. I somehow doubt that to be the case, since Python is attempt- ing to get many laughs from their surreal sketches. Bunuel doesn’t even attempt to force a laugh out of the audience. Everything is played utterly straight, and the viewer will have to decide whether it’s funny or just insane. But the utter confidence of the director in pulling off this odd concoction is certainly a reason to see this film. Pai ‘

Rating: ***1/2

The Cadre + 24March 1998

The Object of my affection 20th Century Fox

George Hanson is at a dinner party when he learns from a total stranger that he’s about to be dumped. Fortunately, Nina Borowski is sympathetic, even offering him the spare room in her Brooklyn apartment. So when his handsome boyfriend, a college professor named Dr. Joley histantly admits that their relationship is over, George accepts Nina’s invitation.

In the months that follow, Nina and George will become the best of friends -- family-- a fact which is mildly unsettling to her boyfriend Vince. But what disturbs him even more is Nina’s announcement that she is pregnant, and she wants to raise the baby with her gay roommate instead of him.

“The The Object of my Affection is an unconventional romantic comedy that pushes the tender lines between love, sex, and friendship,” says the producer.

This motion picture is produced by Nicolas Hytner (The Madness of King George), and is coproduced by Diana Pokorny. Nina is portrayed by Jennifer Aniston (Friends) and George by Paul Rudd (Clueless).

Looks like another one of those cute, All-American, nothing-to-do-on-a- Saturday-night movie: the kind that doesn't take much brainpower. It has the perfect recipe for those predictable yet "heart-warming" date flicks: stale sitcom actors, a social minority, wine, anda baby on the way. Oh! The hijinx just keep a-comin'! Hollywood still thinks the average movie-goer is stupid enough to spend full price on bland pap, but this doesn't look even worthy ofa cheap night viewing with Mom (love ya, Mom).

The Object of my Affection is due

out in theatres on April 27th.

Rommates Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd enjoy their dinner together.